According to the heraldnet.com, 110 cats and kittens were euthanized on Friday after Snohomich County Animal Control seized the animals from a 32 foot trailer on Ebey Island.

Authorities found the trailer on the 4600 block of 43rd Ave. SE where rescuers had to wear protective clothing and use ventilators to remove the extremely ill animals. Previous blood tests revealed the cats were diseased and contagious.

“After blood tests confirmed (the animals) were diseased and contagious, they were humanely euthanized to relieve their pain and suffering,” Vicki Lubrin, of the Snohomich County Animal Control stated in a news release.

The owner of the trailer had been previously investigated and told to clean up the filthy conditions of the trailer and had been ordered to reduce the feline population.

The trailer had been moved several times and was found earlier in the week prompting the Saturday raid. The owner is believed to be homeless. An investigation continues; no charges have been filed.

Animal hoarding is a serious psychological disease and is a violation of animal cruelty laws. According to Paws.org, the American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) links hoarding to obsessive-compulsive disorder and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. These people are unable to provide minimal standards of nutrition, sanitation, shelter, and veterinary care. As it happened in this tragic case, animal hoarding ended in the deaths of 110 cats and kittens.